Faculty research productivity: Some moderators of associated stressors

Abstract

Using person environment-fit theory, stress measures were developed on 894 faculty, a subgroup of the 3,972 faculty in the 1988 NCRIPTAL national survey. Within three institutional groups, three fields of study (humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences), three research output variables, and eight moderating variables (singly and collectively) were correlated (direct and partials) with two measures of stress. The findings lend support to the theoretical model. The outcomes also show that moderate levels of stress can be appreciably and significantly mitigated by some selected personal variables. The environmental variables were generally ineffective in moderating the correlations between stresses and productivity. Sex differences exist. Research self-competence is a strong modifier for both sexes and is exceptionally potent for women.